Invited by Prof. Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Director of the National Primate Research Center of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, and Prof. Vorasuk Shotelersuk, Director of Department of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, a delegation led by XUE Yongbiao, Director of the Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, went to Thailand for an academic exchange during April 16th-22nd, with the purpose to discuss the sharing of biodiversity and health big data and to jointly found the Open Biodiversity and Health Big Data (BHBD) Alliance.

The two parties conducted extensive exchanges on big data and cooperation in other scientific research fields, and initially established research cooperation and data sharing intentions. During this visit, the delegation visited the Bangkok Innovation Cooperation Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, laying the foundation for further scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with Thailand.

Thailand is the third station for BIG to implement “the Belt and Road” initiative with the purpose of developing international partners, expanding the member countries of the international health data alliance and collaborating in the field of life health and big data in Asia, which promotes the establishment of the BHBD Alliance in Southeast Asia.